Happy 15th Birthday, Botox!

It’s your birthday, Botox! 15 years ago, in 2002, the Food and Drug Administration approved you as a safe and exceptionally effective treatment for facial furrows and lines. But as we celebrate your birthday, Botox, we suspect you might be fudging your age just a bit. Let’s think about this a little more:

1820s – That’s right, almost 200 years ago, the first “generation” of Botox was discovered by German scientist, Dr. Justinus Kerner. As dozens of town’s folk died from eating improperly prepared sausage. Dr. Kerner began a lifetime of studying “wurstgift” (sausage poison), also known as Botulism.

1890s – More than 70 years after Dr. Kerner came another deadly outbreak of botulism, this time in Belgium. Three people died and 23 paralyzed from a “bad” ham served at a funeral. A researcher named Van Ermengem connected botulism with the spore-forming bacterium he named Clostridium botulinum. He even went so far as to identify various strains, Types A through G.

1940s – Botox started to pop up again during World War II, as the United States began biological weapon studies. Scientists introduced botulinum toxin, a nerve toxin derived from Clostridium botulinum. Although the U.S. had detailed plans of how to slip pills filled with botulinum toxin to Japanese officers, their project was abandoned for safety reasons.

1950s and 1960s – Researchers remained interested in the nerve blocking capabilities of Botox after the war ended. Dr. Edward Schantz purified botulinum toxin type into crystallized form. Along with his colleague, Dr. Vernon Brooks, the two found that botulinum toxin type A could relax hyperactive muscles. In the late 60s, botulinum type A was considered a go-to toxin in research labs around the world. Among the many studies, the toxin was injected into monkeys to help with strabismus, or crossed eyes.

1970s and 1980s – By the end of the 1970s, Dr. Alan Scott had received FDA approval to inject small amounts of botulinum toxin into human volunteers. The injectable was found to successfully treat strabismus, as well as much more. In 1988, the drug company Allergan acquired the rights to botulinum toxin type A and all the research. At this same time, Allergan also officially christened the injectable with the catchy name of “Botox”.

1990s – The research on Botox continued at a frenzied pace through the 90s. Scientists were noting that bladder spasms, writer’s cramp, face and neck muscle spasms, migraines, and excessive sweating could be temporarily curtailed with an injection of the neurotoxin. However, the biggest discovery was yet to come. In 1992, a husband and wife team noticed that Botox could also ease facial wrinkles and lines. Although used “off-label” to reduce wrinkles, this latest discovery actually caused the country to run out of Botox for a short time.

2000 and beyond – Finally, 15 years ago in 2002, the FDA approved the use of Botox for frown lines and facial wrinkles. Through a vigorous marketing campaign, sales reached $440 million in 2002, alone. Now widely available, Botox is the number one noninvasive, cosmetic technique. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 7 million Botox procedures were performed in 2016.

Celebrate with Botox Cosmetic!

Well, Botox, it looks like you are much older than most people think. Let’s make a deal, you keep providing the amazing wrinkle-reducing powers and we’ll keep your real age between us. So, uh-hum, Happy 15th Birthday to our favorite injectable, Botox Cosmetic!

If you would like to find out more about the benefits of Botox Cosmetic, contact Mirror Mirror Beauty Boutique at 281. 407.9549. Botox consultations are complimentary, so stop by to find out how Botox can turn back the clock on your appearance, as well.